Latino Voices

Thursdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Latino Voices

Under Threat of ICE Strikes, El Grito Canceled and Communities Prepare for Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

A community group in Pilsen is handing out whistles so residents can alert each other about ICE raids. (WTTW News) Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen. Read more >

Latino Voices

Venezuela’s Ruling Party Maintains Control Amid Election Boycotts. What That Means Going Forward

A file photo of an election site in Venezuela. (WTTW News via CNN) Latin America is in the midst of a crucial election year in countries including Venezuela, whose ruling party claimed another win last month amid opposition boycotts. Advocates say last month’s results could further roil the country’s political landscape. Read more >

Black Voices

Wednesdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 3, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Sept. 3, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) Community groups prepare for federal troops in Chicago. And the city’s minimum wage for tipped workers is going up — a look at the impact. Read more >

Black Voices

How Chicago’s Changes to Tipped Minimum Wage Are Impacting Businesses, Workers

(DGLimages / iStock) While Mayor Brandon Johnson and advocates say phasing out the tipped minimum wage helps the city’s lowest-paid workers, critics worry about the higher labor costs facing restaurants. Read more >

Latino Voices

How Trump’s Proposed Tariffs on Mexican Imports Could Impact Businesses, Consumers

A file photo of shipping containers. (WTTW News via CNN) Fears are heightening over the potential of a new trade war and its possible impact across the country. President Donald Trump has agreed to a temporary pause on the 25% tariffs he is proposing on goods from Mexico and Canada — the country’s two largest trading partners. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Immigrant Advocates Push for Increased Protections as Trump Administration Targets the City

Federal immigration agents in Chicago in a file photo. (WTTW News via CNN) Increased immigration raids have been reported across the country. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, confirmed nearly 1,200 arrests on Sunday. Approximately 100 people have been detained by federal officials in the Chicago area, according to the Chicago Police Department. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 30, 2025 - Full Show

Joanna Hernandez hosts "Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices" on Jan. 30, 2025. (WTTW News) The impact immigration raids are having on local businesses. And the stability of federal funding going forward for local nonprofits. Read more >

Latino Voices

Some Illinois Nonprofits Face Uncertain Future After Trump’s Attempted Federal Funding Freeze

A file photo inside a child care facility. (WTTW News) The freeze threatened to hold up trillions of dollars in funding for basic government functions like health care, infrastructure and support for children and veterans. Read more >

Black Voices

‘She Who Dared’ Opera Showcases Black Female Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement

The cast of “She Who Dared” rehearses ahead of the opera’s June 2025 run at the Chicago Opera Theater. (Michael Brosilow) The opera spotlights the women who challenged segregation in Montgomery, using classical music infused with sounds of gospel, jazz and the blues to tell the story centered around seven women. Read more >

Black Voices

Despite Promises to Promote Racial Equity After George Floyd Murder, Many Companies Now Dropping DEI Initiatives

(Jovanmandic / iStock) Dozens and dozens of companies are dropping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives they loudly launched five years ago. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, May 21, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the May 21, 2025, episode of "Black Voices." (WTTW News) Five years since the murder of George Floyd. We explore what’s changed and what hasn’t — from community relations to DEI pledges. Read more >

Black Voices

Semicolon Books Owner Reflects on Business Struggles After 2020 Surge

Semicolon Books. (WTTW News) When Danielle Moore started Semicolon Books in West Town in 2019, business was slow — until the social justice movement after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020 launched her store into the spotlight as Black businesses and books gained national attention. Read more >

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and Julian Grace Foundation.

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Julian Grace Foundation, and Gertrude Dyane and James H. Wooten, Jr..


Join WTTW News every weekend for analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts and life, entrepreneurship and innovation, and equity and justice across the sectors of our society and in the Black and Latino communities in Chicago. Make the VOICES series your definitive source for real conversation and a platform for different voices and perspectives.

Latino Voices

Thursdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Black Voices

Wednesdays at 5:30 and 10 pm

Latino Voices

Under Threat of ICE Strikes, El Grito Canceled and Communities Prepare for Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

A community group in Pilsen is handing out whistles so residents can alert each other about ICE raids. (WTTW News) Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen. Read more >

Black Voices

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Aug. 20, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts the Aug. 20, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices." (WTTW News) The head of the Chicago Teachers Union on the district’s budget deficit and more. And prison lockdowns are on the rise — we explore the reasons. Read more >

Latino Voices

Venezuela’s Ruling Party Maintains Control Amid Election Boycotts. What That Means Going Forward

A file photo of an election site in Venezuela. (WTTW News via CNN) Latin America is in the midst of a crucial election year in countries including Venezuela, whose ruling party claimed another win last month amid opposition boycotts. Advocates say last month’s results could further roil the country’s political landscape. Read more >

Black Voices

How Chicago’s Changes to Tipped Minimum Wage Are Impacting Businesses, Workers

(DGLimages / iStock) While Mayor Brandon Johnson and advocates say phasing out the tipped minimum wage helps the city’s lowest-paid workers, critics worry about the higher labor costs facing restaurants. Read more >

 

Black Voices

New Documentary Explores History, Evolving Legacy of HBCUs

A still from the documentary “Opportunity, Access and Uplift: The Evolving Legacy of HBCUs." HBCUs, or historically Black colleges and universities, have been around for more than 188 years. They were founded out of necessity when predominantly White institutions barred Black students from attending. Read more >

Latino Voices

Local Illustrator Explores Growing Up in an Immigrant Household in New Children’s Book

An image from “Tíos and Primos” by Jacqueline Alcántara. (Courtesy of Penguin Random House) Writer and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara draws from her own childhood to help kids navigate their diverse identities in her new book called “Tíos and Primos” — Spanish for “aunts, uncles and cousins.” Read more >

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and Julian Grace Foundation.

Support for CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES is provided by The Chicago Community Trust.

Additional support is provided by Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Julian Grace Foundation, and Gertrude Dyane and James H. Wooten, Jr..